Conveniently I was on the search for a new foundation when I stumbled across Lisa Eldridge’s video which is a tutorial on acne covering make up (follow the link to check it out). Among other products she used the Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation, and no more than five minutes later I began to do a little research of my own to see what it really had to offer and what others thought of it. Before I go on I should mention that I did purchase this product to use as a concealer more than a full face foundation (I’m more the powder type girl when it comes to that) but did use it both ways before writing this review.

A little background on the product..

Per the description you should be able to enjoy 12 hours of lightweight flawless wear (16 with the setting powder). The corrective foundation is said to be a total coverage foundation marketed towards those with sensitive, acne prone skinwhich is a category I unfortunately fall under. It’s recommended for minor to moderate imperfections such as redness, acne scars,  and pigmentation issues.

Some of the other pluses are the added SPF 20, the fact that it is dermatologist/ophthalmologist tested, and non-comedogenic. All are attributes I look for in a foundation since I feel a lot of them that aren’t non-comedogenic tend to make my skin look unpleasantly oily after a few hours and/or make me break out. None of which I enjoy. Oh, and I’m all for the SPF, I can’t remember the last time I let my face go without.

Lastly, the color range..or lack there of. Vichy offers four, yes four, measly color options. The lightest is Opal 15, the two “mid-range” colors are Nude 25 & Sand 35, and the darkest is Gold 45. I choose to go with Sand 35 since winter is creeping up quickly and whats left of my summer tan is on it’s way out. Also, I did read a few reviews from women who had purchased the Gold 45 shade and could tell it would be way too dark.

The packaging..

In all honesty the packaging is pretty plain, basically what you see is what you get. That goes for the box it came in and the actual tube of foundation. The 1 fl oz. tube is white with the Vichy Laboratories logo and sealed with a black cap. You can also see in the first picture I posted that the list of active and ingredients/directions for use are almost taped on there, not very appealing but oh well. I’m perfectly OK with that since with products such as foundation I really just want it to get its job done. I also think that it’s quite small for a $30 foundation. But having tried the Dermablend Cover Creme in the past, which lasts forever, I chose to give it a go anyways.

 

The application/lasting power..

Now here’s where all the hype was put to the test. I tried it first as a concealer and while it got the job done I didn’t really feel as if it matched my skin tone well enough to be used as one. From then on I used it strictly as a normal all over foundation with my Eco Tools foundation brush and used a light layer of my Afterglow mineral foundation to set it in. It’s a very buildable foundation however, I don’t really want to do too much building because I hate the feeling of my skin suffocating under a mask of makeup.

With a light layer and a little extra on blemishes all was well..except one of the most important parts..the color! When I look at my skin I definitely don’t think of sand but since this shade was my closest option I didn’t have much of a choice after deciding I absolutely needed to try it out. The shade was on the beige side and very close to my skin color but seemed to possess an undertone more on the pink side whereas I have a yellow undertone. It wasn’t unbearably noticeable and the fact that my Afterglow powder I used to set it is a perfect match I decided to give it a go a few times just to test its lasting power.

I wore this to work to really put it to the test. I’m on my feet moving around all day and never re-touch my makeup, usually due to the fact that I don’t have time, and I must say this really did a great job of staying put and not giving me an overly oily T-zone at the end of the day. So I’ll give it an A in that department.

The Verdict..

I really wish I could say this was one of my new favorite foundations because I really thought it was going to be. Unfortunately, the lack of color selection really made this a miss for me and I don’t think it’s worth it to use a foundation that doesn’t match my skin tone the way I’d like it to.

I wouldn’t knock trying it out though if you’re looking for a good quality corrective foundation, who knows, one of the shades may be your perfect match. The overall quality of the foundation is great. It stays put and as it says it will cover moderate to mild blemishes,  but if you’re looking for  hard core coverage I don’t feel this would be your go-to foundation. That is, unless you’re willing to build to achieve the coverage you want.

Also, just a little side note most Vichy Labratories products such as this one aren’t available in stores in the US as far as I know so you’ll most likely need to order it online. The shipping is fast and you get a free sample with every order. I chose the ProEVEN Total Dark Spot Corrector and so far really like it.

 

Looks like I’ll be on the search yet again for the perfect liquid foundation. Even though I do wear powder foundation most days I would still like something to wear when I want that smooth flawless look you can create with a liquid. For now I’m pretty sure I’ll be going back to the Dermablend Cover Creme which I’m head over heels for, my holy grail of concealers.

What is your favorite foundation? Any you could suggest?

 

xx,

Mariana